Physically strong, tactically flexible and emotionally charged, Denmark are a formidable force and they will take some stopping in the final week of this tournament. Kasper Hjulmand’s side are evidently powered by the horrific trauma of Christian Eriksen’s near-death, but they have also shown themselves to be a dangerous side even without their star player and the emotions triggered by his absence.
his European Championship journey truly has taken Denmark to places they never expected to go, both in their own minds and in the competition. In those moments when Eriksen was fighting for his life on the Copenhagen pitch, few would have thought them capable of even playing again in this tournament. Now they are here, two matches away from recapturing the improbable glory of Euro 1992.
Hjulmand said last week that the Eriksen incident, and the support they have subsequently received as a team, has “given wings” to his players. From Amsterdam to Baku, they keep soaring. This time they flew past the Czech Republic, scoring twice in the first half and then holding onto their lead in the second.
In reality, it was far from the most memorable game of Denmark’s campaign.
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This was a more professional and patient sort of performance, compared to the flowing football they produced against Wales and in the group stages, but it was certainly effective. Thomas Delaney and Kasper Dolberg scored their goals, making it a step too far for a Czech side that battled to the end but lacked the necessary guile in attack.
Not even the superb Patrik Schick could drag the Czechs back into the game.
He struck his fifth goal of the tournament at the start of the second half but later had to be removed, holding his hamstring, as the Azerbaijani heat took its toll on both teams. Once he had departed, Denmark looked comfortable and probably should have scored more.
Their second-half showing was one of maturity. Each man did their job, and the depth of talent in their squad allowed Hjulmand to make changes without compromising on technical quality. They may not have their most famous player, but Denmark boast plenty of top-flight experience in their ranks.
In the face of this ability, the Czechs were unable to keep the match tight in the early exchanges. Their game-plan would surely have been to slow the rhythm in the first few minutes, to drain Denmark of some of their intensity, but there was simply no stopping Hjulmand’s side in the first half.
Despite the Baku heat, which caused some players to be dripping with sweat as early as the national anthems, Denmark started as aggressively as they had played against Wales last week. The clock read just five minutes when Delaney strode onto Jens Stryger Larsen’s corner and headed home the powerful opener.
There is strength and height across this Denmark team, especially in their three-man defence, and they needed it at times in the first half when the Czech Republic, led by West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek, threatened from set pieces.
But as Soucek urged his team forward, helping to create a few half-chances that kept Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on his toes, the Czechs left space in behind their midfield. Mikkel Damsgaard, on his 21st birthday, looked dangerous on the break, as did team-mate Martin Braithwaite.
The second goal, which came from another of these counter-attacks, was all down to the attacking brilliance of wing-back Joakim Maehle. The Atalanta defender has been one of the breakout performers of this summer’s tournament and his cross, delivered with the outside of his boot while at full sprint, was surely the delivery of the competition so far.
What a shame that such a glorious assist, and Dolberg’s clinical finish at the back post, could not have been witnessed by more fans. Once again the stands at the Baku Olympic Stadium were largely empty, with the cost and difficulty of travelling to Azerbaijan proving as prohibitive for Czechs and Danes as it had for the Welsh in the group stages.
At this point the Czech Republic had nothing to lose and one imagines that the half-time team talk went along those lines. They came out with a renewed sense of vigour, pouring forward with more intent, and Shick’s goal came just four minutes after the break. His fifth of the tournament was far from his most spectacular, a slightly scuffed effort from Vladimir Coufal’s cross, but it altered the dynamic of this match in an instant.
Stung by the goal, Denmark settled for a while. They were compact and disciplined, and the Czechs offered little in attack. By the end both teams looked drained, and the withdrawal of Schick meant that the Czech Republic had little chance of ending a Denmark adventure that continues to gain momentum.
©Telegraph Media Group Ltd (2021)
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]